What's Your Hotel APP Strategy?

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What's Your Hotel APP Strategy?

2014-01-13

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Mobile
has become an integral part of all our lives and apps are a big part of that –
the statistics speak for themselves. Gartner predicts that by 2016, mobile app
use will surpass the use of Internet domain names, making apps the 'No. 1 way
of engaging with brands.' ComScore data from last year shows that on
smartphones, 82% of mobile media time is via apps. As a marketer, mobile is a
powerful place to connect with your audience and naturally, if you are like any
other business in the battle for market share, you probably already have an app
or you are hurrying to jump on the mobile bandwagon.

Failing at the first hurdle

Before
you do jump too high, it’s imperative that you consider a few key points. So
many apps that have been created are the result of rushed execution and a lack
of planning. Failure to ask the essential early questions such as ‘What is the
core function of my app?’, ‘What are the benefits to the user?’ and ‘How does
this differ from my mobile optimised website?’ will result in a redundant
product.

What
many businesses end up scratching their heads about after the big release of
their app is why the millions of smartphone users who supposedly can’t live
without mobile apps, aren’t downloading theirs! The rate of failed apps in the
app market is astounding – only 1% of the million apps in the marketplace
generate revenue or have traction. When and if users do download an app,
statistics show that creating loyalty among them is not easy. 69% of users open
an app 10 times or less and over a quarter use an app just once after
downloading it. So what is going on behind the low user acquisition, retention
and loyalty? Why do so many apps fail when they hit the marketplace? This
month, we look at the importance of having a strategy in place before
commencing app creation.

App-strategy

Building
and developing apps is fairly straightforward if you know what you’re doing of
course; the more complex part is developing a strategic application or a
'mobile solution' to ensure your app is successful.

The
number one crime in app creation/development is simply repurposing your website
for mobile, with no differentiation or added purpose. Another common theme for
unsuccessful apps is the lack of target user understanding. Most apps hit
development stage with minimal user research or user feedback. It’s simply
imperative to understand your users habits and preferences prior to starting work
or else how can you provide them with the features and functionality they want
or need? Creating something based on intuition is a dangerous act.

Having
a line up of several apps, confusing users over which are current or active, is
also a no-no and can ultimately cause damage to your brand perception.